HAMPDEN, Maine — With two big referendum dates looming on the calendar, an effort that has been at least two or more than 50 years in the making, may finally be nearing fruition.

Frankfort residents will vote on Thursday, March 28 on whether their town joins Hampden, Winterport and Newburgh as members of SAD 22. If voters approve that move, the next big date is Tuesday, April 9, when voters in the current SAD 22 member towns will vote on whether to approve Frankfort’s inclusion into a school administrative district.

The school department and the towns affected have held a total of six public meetings or presentations over the last few months, which an estimated 300 people have attended in all. The purpose of these meetings was to educate citizens and students as well as to answer questions and address any concerns they have with the expansion, which would be SAD 22’s first since 1970.

“They have done their homework, but this isn’t something we’d be doing if we thought it would negatively affect the high-quality education this district provides,” Harris said. “And the goal is to maintain communities, not disrupt them. We think this not only maintains ours, it enhances it.”

Since that time, the SAD 22 school board has unanimously approved accepting Frankfort as a member and has also proposed adding another board seat to represent Frankfort.

“We’ll employ a weighted vote system at board meetings to better represent our membership,” said Bickmore.

Genest, who estimated that SAD’s total enrollment would grow by about 100 students initially and about 175 within two-three years with Frankfort’s addition, said no administrative positions will be added, but “no more than five” teaching positions will be added.

“This is beneficial for everyone concerned,” said Bickmore. “Many of their students already associate with ours and having them all come together also provides a financial benefit for us with four communities sharing the cost. And adding a significant number of students in an era of declining enrollment is a plus, too.”